Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-01-13

IL Is rare privilege, sir. to have had
nart, however humble. in this work.
Never was n0bler duty cOnfided to hu-
man hands than the uplifting and up
building of the prostrste and bleeding
South, misguided, perhaps, but beauti-
ful i'm her suffering and honest. brave,
generous always. IApplause.l In the
record of her social. industrial and po-
liucal restoration, we await with CON
fidence the verdict of the world.
But what of the negro? Have we
solved the problem he presents or
progressed in honor and equity toward
its solution? Let the record speak to
this point. No section shows more
prosperous laboring population than
the negroes of the South, none in
fuller sympathy with the employing
and land owning class. He shares our
school fund, has the fullest protection
of our laws, and the friendship of our
people. Self-interest as we'll as honor
demand that he should have this.
Our future, our very existence depend
upon our working out this problem in
full and exact justice. We understand
that when President Lincoln signed
the emancipation proclamation, your
victory was assured, for he then COM
mitted you to the cause of human
liberty, against which the arms of man
can not prevail [applausel; while
those of our statesmen who made sla-
very the cornerstone of the Confed-
eracy doomed us to defeat, committing
us to cause that reason could not de-
fend or the sword maintain in the light
of advancing civilization. Renewed
applause. Had Mr.. ToOmbs said,
which he did not say, that he would
call the roll of his slaves at the foot of
Bunker Hill, he would have been fool
ish, for he might have known that
whenever slavery became entangled in
war it must perish, and that the chattel
in human flesh ended forever i'm New
England when your fathers-not to be
blamed for parting with what didn't
pay-sold their slaves to our fathers
not to be praised for knowing a paying
thing when they saw it. Laughter.
The relations of the Southern people
with the negro are close and cordial.
We remember with what fidelity for
four years he guarded our defenseless
woman and children, whose husbands
and fathers were fighting against his
freedom. To his eternal credit be it
said that whenever he struck blow for
his own liberty he fought in open bat
tie, apd when at last he raised his black
and humble hands that the shackles
might be struck off, those hands were
innocent of wrong against his helpless
charges, and worthy to be taken in
loving grasp by every man who honOrs
loyalty and devotion. Applause.
Ruffians have maltreated him. rascals
have misled him, philanthropists es-
tablished bank for him, but the South
with the North protests against injustice
to this simple and sincere people. To
liberty and enfranchisement is as far
as law can carry the negro. The rest
must be left to those among whom his
lot is cast, with whom he is indissolubly
connected, and whose prosperity de-
pends upon their possessing his intelli-
gent sympathy and confidence. Faith
has been kept with him in spite of
calumnious assertions to the contrary
by those who assume to speak for us or
by frank opponents. Faith will be kept
with him in the future, if the South
holds her reason and integrity. Ap-
plause.
THE SOUTH HAS KEPT FAITH WITH THE
NORTH.
But have we kept faith with you? Tn
the fullest sense yes. When Lee sur
rendered. don't say when Johnston
surrendered, because I understand he
still alludes to the time when he met
General Sherman last as the time when
Lee surrendered, say, and Johnston
quit, the South became, and has been
since, loyal to this Union. We fought
hard enough to know that we were
whipped and in perfect frankness ac-
cepted as final the arbitrament of the
sword to which we had appealed. The
| South found her jewel in toad's head.
The shackles that had held her in mar
row limitation fell forever when the
shackles of the negro slave were broken.
| Applause. Under the old regime the
negroes were slaves to the South. the
South was slave to the system. Thus
was gathered in the hands of a splendid
and chivalric oligarchy the substance
that should have been diffused among
the people, as the rich blood is gathered
at the heart, filling that with aff1uent
rapture, but leaving the body chill and
colorless. Applause.
The old South rested everything on
slavery and agriculture, unconscious
that these could neither give nor MAIN
tain healthy growth. The new South
presents perfect Democracy, the
oligarchs leading into the popular
movement--a social system compact
and closely knitted, less splendid on
the surface but stronger at the core-a
hundred farms for every plantation,
fifty homes for every palace-and
diversified industry that meets the
complex needs of this complex age.
A PEOPLE EMANCIPATED BY DEFEAT.
The New South is enamored of her
new work. Her soul is stirred with the
breath of a new life. The light of
grander day is falling fair on her face.
She is thrilling, sir, with the conscious
ness ofgrowing power and prosperity.
AS she stands full-statured and equal
among the people of the earth, breath
ing the keen air and looking out upon
the expanding horizon, she under
stands that her emancipation came be-
cause, in the inscrutable wisdom of
God, her honest purpose was crossed
and her brave armies were beaten.-
[Applause.] This is said in no spirit of
time serving and apology. I should be
unjust to the South if did not make
this plain in this presence. The South
has nothing to take back-nothing for
which she has excuses to make. In
my native town Of Athens is monu-
| ment that crowns its eternal hills-a